Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday announced the appointment of 45 people to a task force that will review Houston Police Department policies in what will be a closely-watched effort to consider reforms.Laurence “Larry” Payne, a former staffer of Mayor Kathy Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, will chair the committee, which includes activists, academics, business leaders, law enforcement officials and clergy.Among them: Bishop James Dixon II of the NAACP; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Laura Murillo; former criminal district court judge Marc Carter; George Rhyne of the Texas Anti-Gang...…Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday announced the appointment of 45 people to a task force that will review Houston Police Department policies in what will be a closely-watched effort to consider reforms.Laurence “Larry” Payne, a former staffer of Mayor Kathy Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, will chair the committee, which includes activists, academics, business leaders, law enforcement officials and clergy.Among them: Bishop James Dixon II of the NAACP; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Laura Murillo; former criminal district court judge Marc Carter; George Rhyne of the Texas Anti-Gang...WW…

The Texas Republican Convention remains on track to take place in downtown Houston next month, and the state party is not planning to impose a mask requirement on attendees, despite a recent surge in local COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.On a call with party members earlier this week, Texas GOP chairman James Dickey said he does not interpret Harris County’s mask order to cover the convention, which is set to take place July 16-18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The mandate compels businesses to require their customers to wear face masks.Assistant Harris County Attorney Robert...…The Texas Republican Convention remains on track to take place in downtown Houston next month, and the state party is not planning to impose a mask requirement on attendees, despite a recent surge in local COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.On a call with party members earlier this week, Texas GOP chairman James Dickey said he does not interpret Harris County’s mask order to cover the convention, which is set to take place July 16-18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The mandate compels businesses to require their customers to wear face masks.Assistant Harris County Attorney Robert...WW…

As protests over George Floyd’s death swept the nation, activists in Houston cried out for police reform. Among their demands: Give us an independent police watchdog.One already exists, city officials said: Houston’s Independent Police Oversight Board.But the board lacks meaningful power, with one longtime civil rights activist calling it “window dressing.”Houston’s Independent Police Oversight Board, which reviews investigations completed by the Houston Police Department’s internal affairs division, meets at police headquarters. It cannot launch its own inquiries or accept complaints...…As protests over George Floyd’s death swept the nation, activists in Houston cried out for police reform. Among their demands: Give us an independent police watchdog.One already exists, city officials said: Houston’s Independent Police Oversight Board.But the board lacks meaningful power, with one longtime civil rights activist calling it “window dressing.”Houston’s Independent Police Oversight Board, which reviews investigations completed by the Houston Police Department’s internal affairs division, meets at police headquarters. It cannot launch its own inquiries or accept complaints...WW…

Bracing for a second day of fierce protests, local and state leaders deployed a heavy presence of law enforcement officers across Houston Saturday and were met with largely peaceful demonstrations — along with occasional clashes — by those angered over the death of former Houston resident George Floyd.By late evening, officials had yet to see a repeat of the chaotic events from Friday night that injured eight police officers, damaged 16 police cruisers and resulted in 137 arrests. The day began with Floyd’s classmates from Yates High School through the Third Ward neighborhood where he grew...…Bracing for a second day of fierce protests, local and state leaders deployed a heavy presence of law enforcement officers across Houston Saturday and were met with largely peaceful demonstrations — along with occasional clashes — by those angered over the death of former Houston resident George Floyd.By late evening, officials had yet to see a repeat of the chaotic events from Friday night that injured eight police officers, damaged 16 police cruisers and resulted in 137 arrests. The day began with Floyd’s classmates from Yates High School through the Third Ward neighborhood where he grew...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateHouston Police Chief Art Acevedo’s voice cracked several times and his eyes welled as he railed against the death of George Floyd beneath a policeman’s knee and implored protesters to demonstrate peacefully with him.“I will not allow anyone to tear down this city, because this is our city,” Acevedo shouted on Sunday to the group of mostly black Houstonians surrounding him at one of many protests in the wake of video showing Floyd’s fatal encounter with police in Minneapolis. “Pay close attention! Because these little white guys...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateHouston Police Chief Art Acevedo’s voice cracked several times and his eyes welled as he railed against the death of George Floyd beneath a policeman’s knee and implored protesters to demonstrate peacefully with him.“I will not allow anyone to tear down this city, because this is our city,” Acevedo shouted on Sunday to the group of mostly black Houstonians surrounding him at one of many protests in the wake of video showing Floyd’s fatal encounter with police in Minneapolis. “Pay close attention! Because these little white guys...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateCity Council on Wednesday unanimously approved Mayor Sylvester Turner’s $5.1 billion budget for the next fiscal year, slightly increasing funds for the Houston Police Department even as some cities are under pressure to cut law enforcement spending amid nationwide protest over police violence and the death of George Floyd.As the council took up budget, chants of “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace” could be heard from protesters outside City Hall. Dozens of police reform advocates had asked city council the day before...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateCity Council on Wednesday unanimously approved Mayor Sylvester Turner’s $5.1 billion budget for the next fiscal year, slightly increasing funds for the Houston Police Department even as some cities are under pressure to cut law enforcement spending amid nationwide protest over police violence and the death of George Floyd.As the council took up budget, chants of “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace” could be heard from protesters outside City Hall. Dozens of police reform advocates had asked city council the day before...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateMayor Sylvester Turner’s police reform task force will recommend sweeping changes to the city’s police oversight board and a blanket ban on no-knock warrants for nonviolent offenses, according to draft copies of the recommendations shared with the Houston Chronicle.The 45-person group, a month after police officers in Minnesota killed former Houston resident George Floyd, also will suggest more stringent rules for investigating police misconduct and new policies that would require the Houston Police Department to publicize...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateMayor Sylvester Turner’s police reform task force will recommend sweeping changes to the city’s police oversight board and a blanket ban on no-knock warrants for nonviolent offenses, according to draft copies of the recommendations shared with the Houston Chronicle.The 45-person group, a month after police officers in Minnesota killed former Houston resident George Floyd, also will suggest more stringent rules for investigating police misconduct and new policies that would require the Houston Police Department to publicize...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateA worker at Eastwood Post Office said when asked for a voter registration application Wednesday that she had been instructed not to distribute the forms.Until this week the Harris County voter registrar’s website listed post offices among the places to pick up registration materials, but it no longer suggests them since many post offices in the region are not offering the forms or have said they would only give them out upon request.In the final weeks of registration for the 2020, the League of Women Voters, a century-old...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateA worker at Eastwood Post Office said when asked for a voter registration application Wednesday that she had been instructed not to distribute the forms.Until this week the Harris County voter registrar’s website listed post offices among the places to pick up registration materials, but it no longer suggests them since many post offices in the region are not offering the forms or have said they would only give them out upon request.In the final weeks of registration for the 2020, the League of Women Voters, a century-old...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateDuring Troy Nehls’ recent bid for the Republican nomination in one of Texas’ battleground congressional districts, the Fort Bend County sheriff prominently displayed his support for President Trump across his campaign website.“In Congress, I will stand with President Trump to defeat the socialist Democrats, build the wall, drain the swamp, and deliver on pro-economy and pro-America policies,” Nehls said under the top section of his issues page, titled “Standing with President Trump.”Within two days of Nehls’ , that section , along...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateDuring Troy Nehls’ recent bid for the Republican nomination in one of Texas’ battleground congressional districts, the Fort Bend County sheriff prominently displayed his support for President Trump across his campaign website.“In Congress, I will stand with President Trump to defeat the socialist Democrats, build the wall, drain the swamp, and deliver on pro-economy and pro-America policies,” Nehls said under the top section of his issues page, titled “Standing with President Trump.”Within two days of Nehls’ , that section , along...WW…

Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Texas Republican Party began facing calls on Tuesday from elected officials and the country’s largest medical society to cancel the July state Republican convention, which would be one of the city’s first major indoor gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.Turner swiftly rejected the idea, telling council members that he would “leave it up to the political personalities of the political convention, and the people who are going to be attending, to make wise decisions.”Yet, a review of the mayor’s recent updates to his COVID-19 executive order shows that he...…Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Texas Republican Party began facing calls on Tuesday from elected officials and the country’s largest medical society to cancel the July state Republican convention, which would be one of the city’s first major indoor gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.Turner swiftly rejected the idea, telling council members that he would “leave it up to the political personalities of the political convention, and the people who are going to be attending, to make wise decisions.”Yet, a review of the mayor’s recent updates to his COVID-19 executive order shows that he...WW…